Technical Blocks
Technical blocks are blocks that cannot be acquired legitimately (not even with Silk Touch) and serve various purposes during events within the game. Piston related technical blocks These blocks serve a purpose when a piston is used. Piston Arm |tool=? |stackable=64 |firstver=Beta 1.7 |data=34 }} Block 34 is a block used by the piston's extension arm. One of the data bits of this block defines if it is a normal piston or a sticky piston extension. If block 34 is destroyed in creative mode, the piston/sticky piston will be destroyed too, and will drop pistons/sticky pistons. Block 36 |tool=? |stackable=64 (hacked in game) |firstver=Beta 1.7 |data=36 }} Block 36 is a block used by pistons. It is a side effect of the method of storing moving blocks as tile entities instead of entities. This block's color, when located next to a block in the world, is black. When a block next to it is removed, it becomes invisible, can be walked through, and when light passes through it the light level decreases by 1. They are unbreakable by traditional methods, but can be removed by right-clicking. The game treats the block as stone when it comes to breaking animation and step sound. In the inventory it has the piston head texture, and it cannot be placed, it and Block 34 both have the same titles which are "tile.null.name." File:Comparison36.png|A comparison between a normal stone block (left), and a stone block with a block 36 on it (right). File:Block36.png|A sphere made out of block 36. Furnace related technical blocks Lit Furnace |transparent=No |light=Yes, 13 |tool=wpickaxe |stackable=Yes, 64 |firstver=Indev (February 19, 2010) |data=62 }} This is a block used to make furnaces shed light when smelting. It has a different texture than the normal furnace and emits particles. If the lit furnace is activated and the fuel runs out, the block will not return to a normal Furnace as of 1.5. Redstone related technical blocks Glowing Redstone Ore |transparent=No |light=Yes, 9 |tool=ipickaxe |stackable=Yes, 64 |firstver=Alpha 1.0.1 |data=74 }} This is a block used to make Redstone Ore glow when stepped on, right-clicked, or left-clicked. While the redstone ore is lit, it will emit light but will wear off after a while. Block 75 |transparent=Yes |light=No |tool=Fist |stackable=Yes, 64 |firstver=Alpha 1.0.1 |data=75 }} Block 75 is a block representing an off-state Redstone Torch. When a normal Redstone Torch (standing on the top of a block) receives power from a layer below the block it's standing on, it turns off, and stops giving power. When the torch stops getting power, it turns back to the normal on-state torch, and gives power again. For the game to know the torch stopped getting power, the game must update the block - this happens when a block near the torch changes, and when it's turned off because of the Redstone current, this is not a problem, but when spawned into the world it will be turned off, and because no block is updated, it will stay this way, until a block updates. When the block is removed it will turn to a normal on-state torch. Active Redstone Repeater |tool=Fist |stackable=Yes, 64 |firstver=Beta 1.3 |data=94 }} This is the on state of the Redstone Repeater, it is titled "tile.diode.name." Fluid related technical blocks Flowing Water |tool=Bucket |stackable=Yes, 64 |firstver=0.0.12a |data=08 }} The flowing Water block tells the game to check for any Air blocks around it and put some Water into them if applicable. If one puts enough Flowing water in a certain order, one can make an Infinite Water Source. If there is a hole six blocks or fewer from the point of origin, the water will tend to flow in that direction. Flowing Lava |tool=Bucket |stackable=Yes, 64 |firstver=0.0.12a |data=10 }} The flowing lava block tells the game to check for any air blocks around it and put some lava into them if applicable. Flowing Lava flows only 3 blocks from the point of origin in the Overworld while it flows infinitely in the Nether. Farming related technical blocks Farmland Farmland is a block on which seeds can be planted and grown. It is made by using a Hoe on Dirt or Grass. If Farmland is near water it becomes hydrated, and if not it turns dried again, and will eventually turn back to Dirt. As of Minecraft 1.1, walking on farmland will not un-till the land. However, jumping will. Turning Grass into Farmland will cause it to become Dirt, once reverted. Also, this block is still obtainable, using /give player farmland Pumpkin Stem |tool= |stackable= |firstver=Beta 1.8pre |data=104 }} The block that is planted on farmland when Pumpkin Seeds are used on it. It starts off-set/under-ground, and rises up as the plant grows, as opposed to the method wheat seeds uses, where each growth stage is an individual texture. The stem is colored green by the game, and then brown once fully grown. The stem will change to the second image once a pumpkin has grown off the stem. A single stem will connect to any pumpkin in an adjacent square, thus there are 5 possible appearances to a stem. When the pumpkin is removed, the stem will return to its original image. A single pumpkin will grow off of a full grown stem at a time, but once that pumpkin is removed, another can grow in its place. Destroying a fully-grown stem yields 0–3 pumpkin seeds. This allows for melon/pumpkin seed farming. Melon Stem |tool= |stackable= |firstver=Beta 1.8 Pre-release |data=105 }} The block that is planted on farmland when Melon Seeds are used on it. The coloring and growth methods are the same as the Pumpkin Stem's. The stem will change to the second image once a melon has grown off the stem. A single stem will connect to any melon in an adjacent square, thus there are 4 possible appearances to a stem with a melon on it and 1 without. When the melon is removed, the stem will return to its original image. A single melon will grow off a full grown stem at a time, but once that melon is removed, another can grow in its place. Destroying a fully-grown stem yields 0–3 melon seeds. Mobs related technical blocks Monster Egg |tool=Fist |stackable=64 |firstver=Beta 1.8 Pre-release |data=97 }} Block 97 is a block that may look like a Stone block, a Cobblestone block, a Stone Brick block, or any stone brick variant; however, is actually a block that when destroyed will spawn a Silverfish. The block is easily destroyed by hand, distinguishing it from regular blocks. If one attacks a Silverfish directly with a sword or a bow (without killing it), nearby Block 97 will break, spawning other aggressive Silverfish. With the Silk Touch enchantment this block may be mined and placed elsewhere to create traps for players. In the Creative Mode inventory, Block 97 is called the Stone Monster Egg, Cobblestone Monster Egg Stone Brick Monster Egg, etc. (Alternatively the Silverfish Stone, Silverfish Cobblestone Silverfish Stone Brick, etc. in the console versions) Nether Portal related technical block Nether Portal Nether Portal blocks are generated when a portal is formed, standing on them will teleport a player from The Overworld to the Nether and vice versa. However, they become transparent when another "portal" block is placed next to it (the only way to do this is through inventory editing). When invisible they are still detectable and can still send one from the Overworld to the Nether and vice versa. In creative mode one can break this block and it will make the glass breaking sound. End Portal related technical blocks End Portal Frame End Portal Frame is a block that can be found in strongholds. It has a decorative bluish-green top, while the sides and bottom are an off-white color, like the white stone that The End is made out of, decorated in hollow rounded rectangles with the same color as the top. They are found in a 12 block ring shape within a room over a pool of lava and a staircase containing a Silverfish spawner. They have a high explosive resistance, so it is pointless putting TNT next to it. Uses Some of the blocks have an Eye of Ender inserted into it, Using other Eyes of Ender on the rest of the blocks inserts them to the top of the blocks. Once an Eye of Ender has been inserted in all 12 Frame blocks, then the Ender Portal will activate and a player can pass through to access The End. It is now (in 1.3.1 not 1.3) in the creative inventory under the decorations tab. History The Ender Portal Frame used to have a different texture, emitted a blue shaded light at level 15 and was non-solid block when cracked, becoming solid when repaired. Although it couldn't be mined, an explosion caused them to drop as an item shaped like a Glass Pane. They had no tooltip, indicating that them dropping at all was a bug. A player had to repair a cracked Ender Portal Frame by right clicking it with an Eye of Ender. Trivia *When destroyed in Beta 1.9 Prerelease for Creative Mode, one hears the sound of Glass breaking. Unlike Nether Portals this does not disable the portal. By destroying the End Portal Frame around the End Portal blocks, one can create a free floating 3x3 End Portal. *The Ender Dragon can destroy these blocks even though there is no way to bring the Ender Dragon to the Overworld without using /summon. Note: End Portal Frame is not a technical block because technical blocks are the blocks obtained by the /give command. End Portal Ender Portal is a block that will teleport a player into The End dimension. It looks like a white-on-black two-dimensional star map, and emits light and black smoke particles. Only the top side of the block is visible, and the bottom side is invisible. In addition, the bottom and top cannot be passed through, although the sides can be. The collision box for this block takes up the lower 1/16th of the block, similar to Snow. Invisible Bedrock ''Only found in the Pocket Edition. ''Invisible Bedrock is a special form of Bedrock found around old world types to stop players from dropping into the Void. Invisible Bedrock cannot be mined in either Survival or Creative mode, so the only method of removing them is by using Cheats. Invisible Bedrock can also be obtained by inventory editing or Plug PE. Command Blocks This block serves a purpose for game maps. It is used as a command. A very common usage is teleportation. Only way to remove is to go into Creative Mode. Trivia *If Invisible Bedrock is obtained by inventory editing, it will serve as an x-ray block. *The Invisible Bedrock field is blocked off by the world height limit, so if one goes to the top of the world and walk into the Invisible Bedrock field, one will walk over it. *PC technical blocks used to be obtainable by the /give command. Now, one has to do /setblock or use NBTedit. References Category:Blocks